


Our Future

by JanusAbernathy



Category: Resident Evil (Movieverse)
Genre: Angst, Death mention warning, F/F, Fluff / Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:47:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22522747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JanusAbernathy/pseuds/JanusAbernathy
Summary: An alternate version of their story, starting from Extinction.
Relationships: Alice/Claire Redfield
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been thinking about how differently things would've gone if certain scenarios didn't happen / were altered, et cetera. Chapter four for 'Giving In' is still in the works though, and WILL eventually be posted, I promise. I'm just hoping that this will give the extra boost of motivation. But anyway, hope y'all enjoy.

_The stench of burnt crows and rotten flesh still lingered. It's probably gone for most others in the convoy by this point, but for Alice --- it was a morbid reminder clinging like smoke on the clothes of someone who smoked two packs a day. It was becoming sickening._

Alice's jaw clenched, nostrils flaring as she exhaled roughly through her nose and shut her eyes. No matter how hard she'd think of the aroma of something fresh and flowery, pretending it's there... _it doesn't work_. That rotten smell just comes right back around to suffocate her. God, she couldn't wait to GET OUT of here. Leave this area, and never look back. She's tempted to slip out when nobody's looking, and disappear like one of the countless ghosts that continue to stalk her to this day. Yeah, it's a really dumb thing to do... wandering across the barren wastelands in the dark. But Alice's not these people. She's not human --- _unfortunately_ \--- anymore. She's beginning to find it pointless to stick around anyway, considering how over half of the convoy was terrified of her and treated her as if she's a threat. It really stung, you know... earlier on, this little boy was surprisingly brave to approach her and ask for her name. But Alice couldn't even answer, because his mother suddenly pulled him away while shooting a somewhat nasty glare at Alice: _'Stay away from my son, you **freak**.' _

Freak --- it's what Alice identified herself as in response to Cain's bullshit statement of her being 'evolution', so she doesn't really blame that mother. _But it STILL stung, bad._ So yeah, you might ask why she bothers to stick around. 

Eyes snapped open when she heard footsteps trudging through the desert sand, and blue eyes were quick to adapt to the sight just beyond the glow of the campfire in front of her. It's almost instant, the comfort nudging it's way through her battered nerves as she watched the familiar silhouette of a tall man carrying on, and then he stopped. His soft gaze meeting Alice's, a warm smile within brown eyes that she could see from this distance, and a corner of her mouth twitched faintly. Basically his gaze said, _'you'll be alright as long I'm here, Alice.'_

She knows, Carlos. _She knows._ But soon, it's not going to be **ENOUGH** to keep her around. Not when Umbrella shows up to ruin everything yet again. She's a walking target. _A harbinger of death._ She'll never forget the tragic day of when she gained that title. She was just a child, goddamn it.

\---

_A single shriek pierced her eardrums, and it's not her name being heard that broke the mind control Umbrella suddenly gained over her. It's the TONE. The familiar voice of another survivor she encountered in the disastrous aftermath of Raccoon City. Everything around Alice seemed to slow down for a moment, before speeding up to the regular pace as she blinked once, and then twice._

_'How'd I get here---' Alice doesn't remember being in this spot. She doesn't remember walking over here. She doesn't remember ANYTHING prior to this point. But she doesn't bother thinking on it, because when she looked up at the source of the bloodcurdling scream, and her gaze was met with Jill's that was filled with horror, anguish and tears. "Jill, what... happened..." Alice trailed off when she noticed the handgun in her own hand was smoking from the barrel, and then she froze. Eyes slowly widening when the sight in the background just beyond her gun slowly came into focus._

_There laid Angela Ashford, **dead.** The smaller face was devoid of life, blank eyes still wide open and blood was dripping down from the gunshot wound in the side of her head. _

\--- 

And that's why she couldn't answer Carlos' question about why she suddenly left them behind in Detroit, directly. It still tore her apart to even think about it. She wasn't wrong about the answer she gave though, she IS dangerous because Umbrella could easily flip the switch within her and turn her into a killing machine. It's only a matter of time before they line up the satellite trajectory to her current location, and do the same thing again. She wanted to say goodbye to Carlos tonight, and be gone by dawn... but the humanity within her wouldn't let her leave so easily. 'Wonder why's that,' Alice contemplated as her eyes fell away from the Carlos' retreating form and back to the flickering flames. 

Then she sensed it again. Another pair of eyes on her, and Alice tensed momentarily when she heard another set of footsteps moving across the sand, and coming closer. They were headed straight for her. It's not Carlos, she knows that. Because he was doing his routine perimeter patrol. _Definitely_ not him, Alice could tell by a scent she picked up on almost instantly, and it was rather... welcoming. So much better than burnt crow, and rotten flesh. This scent was much more sweeter, and it smelled just as _**purely human**_ Carlos did. Alice's not complaining, because it's also comforting aside from Carlos' presence. It just unnerved her a bit, because it wasn't something she expected. Especially when, you know, she tends to be one step ahead with her superhuman senses.

Yet, she says nothing and does nothing to find an excuse to distance herself when the newcomer made their presence acknowledged. _"Do you ever get tired of being alone like this?"_ Blue eyes snapped away from the fire, and met with the pair of piercing green. The difference this time around? Neither of them suddenly looks away as if they had gotten shy out of nowhere. Their gazes seemed to be drawn to one other like gravity, refusing to break contact. 

" --- No, not really. It's probably better that I keep a safe distance from everyone else." Alice's voice was soft as she answered with sincerity. _Well, sort of._ There's also a lie in there, maybe Alice is tired of feeling lonely but she's not going to admit it. She's not looking for pity. However, it would seem that **Claire** here already spotted the lie - made evident by how the leader just moved a little closer and set herself down on the ground next to Alice. It almost baffled Alice, how brave this woman was being. But then again... she IS the leader, Alice reminded herself. A figure with more than enough of kindness to not ignore anyone within the group, especially newcomers. 

Alice was the first to break off the _intense contact_ of their gazes, a corner of her mouth turning up the slightest and she couldn't help but chuckle quietly --- blue eyes suddenly finding that loose thread on her boot fascinating, fingers picking at it and easily breaking it off with one pull. 

_"What's so funny?"_ Claire's tone wasn't defensive, it was actually rather soft. Curious. Alice merely gave a faint shake of her head, and confidently brought her gaze back up to settle on the redhead once more. "You. You're funny." Tiniest of smirks touched her lips as she answered the leader's question. Claire blinked, before giving a faint scoff and shrugged - green eyes quickly glancing down at the can of fruit in her hand. The smirk on Alice's face grew, because she could tell the other woman was suddenly shy again. _Clearly affected._

_"Glad to know I could provide some amusement,"_ Claire murmured, before she dug two fingers in the can and picked out a slice of fruit to shove in her mouth. Alice just couldn't stop watching her for some reason, but she's glad she didn't look away right then. Because when she caught the side glance Claire gave, it strangely gave Alice more comfort than she originally anticipated.

"I'm just glad to see you're eating something, at least." Alice's voice mirrored Claire's low murmur. The redhead paused in her motion, and fully glanced at the other woman. She then held out the can of fruit in an offer, and Alice shook her head. "No, you eat." The older woman insisted softly, lifting a hand up to gently nudge Claire's hand that was holding the can back towards her --- _oh god,_ that brief brush of fingers against fingers though. It caught Alice by surprise, it almost felt like static electricity. You know, that little random shock you get when you touch something. Except it just prompted an insane urge within Alice, to feel **more**. 

Now her mouth was dry, and Alice just breathed in deeply through her nose and glanced away. Blue eyes turning back on the fire, desperately opting to ignore a suggestive thought that attacked her mind out of the blue: _'I wonder how she tastes.'_ No, that's just normal, right? Alice tried to reassure herself. It's because she hasn't had physical contact for **years**. That's all.

Somewhere in the back of her head, a little voice laughed at Alice: _"Oh please, why don't you stop denying it? She's the only one, besides Carlos and K-Mart... who looked past what you are now. She sees the human within you. It's about time you wake the fuck up."_

_**To be continued...** _


	2. Getting Closer

_It all happened so fast. Almost as if they had been blindsided by a tornado forming straight out of thin air, and leaving a trail of bloody destruction behind. Only that the tornado was in the form of a massive flock of infected crows, menacingly hovering over them and threatening to block out the sunlight. Their savior was completely unexpected as well, and it came in the form of a **woman** with stunning blue eyes, and a power to be naturally feared because no one understood what exactly it was. _

Still made Claire shudder the slightest, the memory of the flames being turned into a blanket and swirling around the crows. Burning every single one to a crisp, before their ashes fell down on them and filled the air around them with the disgusting smell of burnt, rotten flesh. One minute she was frozen in the vehicle, panicking and when she looked up --- just in time, to catch the spray of the flamethrower turning on Carlos and a teenage girl he was shielding with his own body. Claire thought they were goners too, but then there it was. Some kind of invisible force forming a shield over them, and pushed the flames back upwards to the sky. It was then Claire caught glimpse of the woman just beyond the other two, and she figured it out pretty quick. The woman was doing THAT, and Claire didn't know how. Wasn't sure if she wanted to find out how, either. It terrified her, just as much getting pecked alive did. But at the same time, she was silently thanking whatever's left of God for giving them this savior. Oddly enough when Claire slowly exited the vehicle in shock, eyes still fixed on the woman - there was a painful twinge stabbing at her heart when the woman suddenly collapsed in Carlos' arms. _But why?_ She didn't even know who she was. 

Goddamn, she couldn't forget either... when she had a closer look at this stranger and she --- _found her to be breathtakingly beautiful_. Tanned skin, flawless facial structure and a body that appeared to be perfectly healthy. Meanwhile the other part of her brain couldn't help but notice how **vulnerable** the woman looked when Carlos carried her inside the motel. Claire couldn't help but feel that this woman didn't ask to become what she is, yet she was brave enough to risk her own life to save everyone else. Her assumption only had been proven correct when the stranger was finally conscious, and Claire had the chance to speak with her directly. Carlos had revealed he knew the woman, and she was to be trusted - and normally, Claire wouldn't have believed that right off the bat. But she knew Carlos didn't bullshit around when it came down to his word, so she took it to heart. The memory of when she first spoke with the strange woman made her heartbeats quicken, and Claire swallowed hard. Why the FUCK was she getting affected? _Fucking hell._ Couldn't really blame her though, because when she had a real good look at the woman's eyes, she was mesmerized by how blue they were and the unspoken torment that lingered within them hit home for Claire.

They both have had too many people die around them, and that's what formed a mutual respect between them. Claire didn't really fear the strange woman anymore after that.

So, it shouldn't be a surprise that Claire also felt the _sting_ of when she watched a mother yank her son away from Alice, when the boy was merely curious about the strange woman's name. The leader doesn't really blame anyone within the convoy for having their concerns, especially a mother just looking out for her child's safety. But Claire certainly didn't miss the flash of a pained look across **Alice** 's face. _Alice_ , that's her name... and Claire finds delight in saying it for some reason. The redhead kept silent though, as she watched the mother pull her son away and back to their rightful spot --- before she decided to approach them with a gentle smile. She heard the boy giving a whine: _"But mom, she looked nice!"_ Claire brought a hand up to gently grip the mother's shoulder, the usual concern and kindness of a leader making green eyes appear soft. _"Joan, I have to agree with your son. If Alice was bad, none of us would be here to begin with... if it hadn't been for her, it would've gone a lot more worse than it had. I do understand your concerns, you're not the only one. But we shouldn't treat Alice as an outcast. She's just like the rest of us, trying to survive."_ There was a brief expression of guilt touching Joan's features upon contemplation, but the mother said nothing. Just gave a nod and a small smile, before walking back to the others to find a spot to rest. 

_"Hey Claire. I'm not really hungry, so I thought I'd give you the rest of this..."_ A familiar voice eventually spoke up from behind Claire, and she turned to face a younger man. Mikey. The tech expert. He held out a can of fruit to Claire with a kind smile, but there was also a look of insistence in his eyes. He had known Claire didn't really eat much today, and he'd always be concerned about her well-being. Claire couldn't even say no when her stomach gave a deep rumble, and she sighed --- nodding as she took the can from him. _"Thanks. Keep an eye out on those cameras, let me know if anything changes, alright? You try to get some sleep too, though."_ Mikey just gave a salute, accompanied by a grin before he headed back to his van where the cameras displaying the live feed for the perimeter were set up. It's also where his bed was made, it was the closest thing to a comfortable home he had.

Claire glanced down at the can of fruit, her nose wrinkling. Her eyes then flit up, before looking around at everyone else who was either huddled together in silence, or getting ready for bed. _Even though most of them wouldn't be able to sleep after the horrific ordeal earlier._ Green eyes continued to survey the convoy before they stopped at the sight just beyond the vehicles, near the perimeter - where the glow of another campfire danced against the darkness of the night. For a moment, she was torn in between joining K-Mart in the Hummer, or to join the mysterious stranger by the campfire. She was exhausted, mentally and physically... but the odd desire to keep Alice company won her over, prompting her feet to move forward. Guiding her towards the campfire. 

\-----

_"You. You're funny." Alice's murmur snapped her out of the momentary daze she had fallen into after hearing the warm, and quiet chuckle from the older woman. That wasn't the only effect though, it's also how the woman's lips curled into something breathtaking. A rarity for survivors these days, a quiet joy that pleaded to be relieved. All Claire could do was blink, and turn her gaze away - feeling her own body temperature rising. Especially in her cheeks. Why the fuck did it feel uncomfortable in between her thighs so suddenly? It was like a slap stinging her face upon realizing that her desire for physical intimacy had been neglected for too damn long, till now. She had a responsibility here, over these people and to keep them safe. There wasn't time, nor place for that kind of... thing. For a moment there, it made Claire want to get up and walk away quickly. Return to her Hummer and just forget it happened. She could feel Alice's eyes still on her, and she refrained from swallowing - eyes flitting to give a side glance after she gave her half-assed response. Her wit had been booted right out of the window. Maybe Alice was **dangerous** after all, just a different kind of danger that Claire wouldn't mind... indulging herself with._

\-----

_"So... how did you-"_ Claire paused, carefully contemplating her choice of words. She really didn't want to offend Alice in any way, at all. She felt her heart stop for a moment when blue eyes turned back up to meet with her gaze. _'Fuck those eyes,'_ Claire thought as she cleared her throat and dipped her fingers back in the can for another fruit. _"I mean, what happened to you? What turned you into the way you are?"_ Once she had the piece of fruit in between her fingers - she shoved it in her mouth and without thinking, she slowly suckled, and licked the juices off her fingers. Because she was too fucking mesmerized by the blue eyes yet again. She didn't really realize what she was doing till she noticed Alice's gaze flitting in between the fingers in Claire's mouth and back up. Alice's lips curled into amusement, and Claire felt her cheeks heat up **again.** She dropped her hand, fingers falling out of her mouth and she set down the can of fruit. _"---Well?"_ She nearly snapped right then, because this woman was getting under her skin and not in the bad way. Luckily, her tone still came out soft and Alice's amused smirk lost it's glory - giving away to an emotion Claire noticed in her eyes right then, _sadness._ Regret? Whatever it was, Claire could tell the story was going to be a lot more painful than she expected. 

Alice looked away, almost too quickly - as if she was trying to hide the vulnerability threatening to bleed through. "I'm sure I don't need to ask you this, but... you know Umbrella Corporation?" 

_"The biggest pharmaceutical organization? How could I not, I've seen them everywhere. My brother even used to talk about them often."_ Not in good terms either, Chris had his own doubts. Claire answered with a nod, but she couldn't ignore the warning jabbing at her gut. That she wasn't going to like what she's about to hear. Alice even noticed the concern when she looked back up at Claire, and the older woman gave a small but wry smile. A silent message that was sort of apologizing for what she's about to reveal. "I was the Head of Security for one of their underground laboratories in Raccoon City. Everything was going good at first, I didn't even notice anything shady till about a year after I got my promotion. They were working on a project, the T-Virus Project. I got the wind of it after they gave me double shifts, which I found strange. But they were quite insistent about it." Alice fell silent for a moment to sigh, and lifted a hand to knead fingertips against the back of her neck and shifted till she propped her other feet up on the ground. Arms then were draped over her bent knees, before she continued - blue eyes now staring at the fire and Claire noticed how they had darkened. "I just kept having this awful nagging feeling, so I decided to do a little research of my own. The more details I found on the T-Virus, the more I realized I might've made a huge mistake by signing a contract with them and there was this one mission where my team and I were sent in to clean up a mess... it pretty much validated my concerns." A scoff was followed by a dark, and bitter chuckle from Alice. "The scientist who was researching on a portion of the T-Virus went crazy, held his co-workers hostage and threatened to out Umbrella Corporation. Our orders were to secure the serum, and..." Her jaw clenched, and Claire's brows furrowed - before the redhead reached a hand out to rest on Alice's forearm with a gentle squeeze. Silently telling her it's okay to go on. Alice did tense at first at the sensation of Claire's hand on her arm, but it didn't take her long to relax from the warmth. It was a soothing feeling. 

"I didn't want to go along with the cover-up bullshit, but I didn't want to risk putting my teammates in a precarious position either. That scientist killed himself right in front of me. Shot his goddamn brains out, right after he told us we were making a huge mistake. He was right, Claire. I decided to do something about it. I planned on stealing the T-Virus and hand it over to an anti bioterrorism organization. Apparently they already had someone on the inside, her name was Lisa Addison. So, I worked on the plan with her. We were working on it for months. It could've worked out perfectly, her with direct contact with the anti bioterrorism forces and me with the access to high security labs where they held the T-Virus." Another pause, longer one so Alice could take this opportunity to breathe in deeply and exhaled roughly. She could feel Claire's fingers tightening just a little on her arm. She knew Claire already put the puzzle pieces together, figuring out that Umbrella was responsible for the current condition of the United States. She didn't even need to look into green eyes to know there's anger, and disappointment surfacing. 

"Unfortunately, the douchebag of the decade that went by the name, Spence Parks, got the wind of our plan and decided to steal the T-Virus for himself. To sell for _millions_ on the black market. He had this twisted thought... that he was going to make some wonderful dream come true for us. Heh, he was just another greedy idiot who decided to think with his dick instead." There was a venomous edge to the last couple words Alice spat out, and her hands curled into fists slowly - muscles in her forearm rippling in Claire's hold and the redhead squeezed it again. Subconsciously stroking her thumb against skin, jaw clenching as well, as she listened attentively. "He... caused an outbreak down in the HIVE, the underground laboratory. The A.I. unit, known as the Red Queen, sealed it before anyone could get out, and killed them all. Red Queen had released the halon gas in the mansion where I was by the time, and knocked me out cold. I couldn't remember anything when I woke up. Not even my own name. _Nothing."_ The next breath Alice released was **shaky.** "By the time I remembered everything, it was too late. My team died... bitten, or eaten by their co-workers who had turned. Spence almost got away, but luckily... that piece of shit got what he deserved. I almost got away with the T-Virus and the anti-virus. But Dr. Isaacs, a scientist who worked for the Corporation, had other plans. They intercepted me and Matt, the only other person who survived with me. Turned us into their lab rats. I became superhuman, but Matt had worse luck than I did. He turned into a hideous mutation. I managed to end his misery, and break off from their control. Been on the run since then, staying off their radar." Alice intentionally left the part about Angela's death out. Claire doesn't need to hear about that, it's already bad enough processing everything Alice just revealed to her.

The silence that finally filled the space between, and around them was tense. Alice could feel Claire gripping on her forearm, but it wasn't too tight. She just could tell Claire was _furious_ , and when she eventually returned her gaze to the redhead - it felt like her heart dropped down in her stomach like lead. There were tears welling up in the leader's eyes and Alice swallowed thickly, placing her other hand over Claire's on her forearm. " --- They're looking for me, Claire. They're why people die around me all the time. I... I want to stay and help you, and these people... but at the same time, I **need** to leave. Get far away from you, Carlos and everyone else. Before I get you all killed. Just say the word, and I WILL be gone by dawn." 

Claire wanted to give the word because she feared for the safety of her convoy, but --- _"No. No, Alice... you **saved** us, and you can do it again if they do find you. We will stop those son of bitches together--" _Alice gave a squeeze to Claire's hand, and shook her head. "Claire, you and these people wouldn't stand a chance against them. They outnumber us. I can't-- I **won't** put you all through that. I'm not going to let anyone else die anymore. If anyone else is going to die, it's going to be me. Not you. Not Carlos. You worry about these people, and let me worry about Umbrella." That hurt Claire deeply, like a knife going through her heart - just hearing Alice speak about her dying, instead of anyone else. Anger flared. She just didn't know what to say at this point without snapping, so she released Alice's arm. Stood up, and walked away. She couldn't help but think why she cared so damn much for this woman, who proved to be a potential threat to them all... and then she realized, it's because Alice is STILL human. Alice still had her morals, otherwise she wouldn't have saved them all. Claire just wanted to help her, too.

She just wanted to break down and cry right on the spot, but the anger wouldn't let her. It prompted her to keep walking away, even as she sensed Alice's eyes on her back. She yanked the driver's door to the Hummer open, climbed in the seat and pulled the door shut. Her hands were shaking as they wrapped around the steering wheel so tight her knuckles turned white, and she exhaled roughly. Darkened green eyes stared ahead through the windshield. She didn't even notice K-Mart wasn't there in the backseat, sleeping like she should be. But even if Claire did notice, she wouldn't be worried. Because she knows where else K-Mart would be... with Carlos. That girl had such a schoolgirl crush on him. _There's her other reason why though, why Claire wanted Alice to stay. Because of Carlos' word about trusting Alice._

"Fuck!" She spat out angrily, hands threading through her messy ginger hair and gripping on it momentarily before releasing it - slamming her hands down on the steering wheel again and threw her head back against the seat. Eyes squeezing shut. 

Claire ended up staying awake all night. Thinking. It wasn't till the crack of dawn when she finalized her decision. 

_**To be continued...** _


	3. Stay With Me

_Regret was slowly eating Alice from the inside and out, starting from her stomach. Then it spread through her entire chest, wrapping it's icy fingers around her exhausted heart to squeeze painfully as she watched the redhead get up, and walk away. She knows Claire was conflicted, and Alice wanted nothing more than to just... disappear. Forget getting Claire's word, she decided that she'll say goodbye to Carlos and leave as soon dawn arrives. There's no place for her here._

The sun was beginning it's ascension over the horizon, and the dawn's light blinded Alice momentarily but it didn't bother her. She just squinted her eyes, before turning her head and glanced down at the only belongings she had besides her. A backpack filled with necessities, basically it's a survivor kit. Weapons, very little ammunition and a granola bar. That was about it --- except for the journal Alice just noticed and remembered. Found off the body of another unfortunate soul who fell victim to the apocalypse's misery, and hung themselves. Most likely to save themselves from turning. Alice knew they were infected, she could smell it and detect the weak levels of the virus within their hanging corpse. She had spotted the journal on the floor under the body, and she managed to snatch it before fleeing from the flies that had been attracted to the stench. Once she'd gotten away from the station, and mounted her bike, she took a few moments to skim through the pages. 

**Alaska.** Infection free. Safe haven. 

It was almost TOO good to be true, Alice had to admit. Which was why she was hesitant about bringing it up to Carlos, and Claire. Because for starters, it was too far away and this convoy didn't seem to have ENOUGH to be able to make the trip all the way across the states. And then the other thing, her biggest concern... Umbrella. Her initial thought was, _'what if it's a trap?'_ She didn't want to risk sending these people into an ending where they lose control. Alice just refused to let these people experience what she had gone through, it was a lot more terrifying than getting bitten and then killing yourself. Because at least when you get bitten, you know what is going to happen and you know exactly what you have to do. You had control over the way you end your own life. But with Umbrella? You don't even know what they're going to do to you, and what they could turn you into. 

Being buried alive on the inside... the thought was more than enough to make her blood run cold again.

Nostrils flared from a rough exhale, and Alice shoved the journal back in the bag before she stood up. She pulled her duster coat back on, and bent over to grab the backpack by it's strap - pulling it up with ease, and slung it over her shoulder. She could feel exhaustion gnawing at her muscles and bones, _as usual,_ but she hadn't gotten any sleep last night either. She couldn't, especially after what had happened with her last transportation. It's a shame, she really like that motorcycle. She had to leave some of the supplies behind, because she couldn't carry them all. Even though she didn't really need them, just her backpack and weapons. And she's good to go. 

_"Alice. You're not leaving again, are you?"_ Didn't matter how much she was expecting the question, and the concern from Carlos... it still made her tense, and feel horrible all over again. Alice stood still for a moment, breathing in deep and exhaled before turning to face the man with a soft, but sad smile. "I can't stay, Carlos. I told Claire what happened last night. About Umbrella, and how I turned into... this _thing_ that shouldn't be near anyone, period. She isn't happy and she's concerned for the safety of these people, and so am I. The longer I stick around, the more danger I'm putting you all in." Sadness swirled in blue eyes as they stared at Carlos when she fell silent once again, and took a step closer when the man slowly begun to shake his head, and opened his mouth. Most likely to protest, and try convince Alice she shouldn't have to run - but Alice stopped him by bringing a hand up to press two fingers over his lips, "Don't, Carlos. Please don't make this harder than it already is. I'm leaving for the same reason I left you and Jill behind in Detroit. If Umbrella finds me, they're going to make me kill you all." Slowly, Alice's hand fell from Carlos' lips and fingers splayed as she rested her palm against his chest. Right over his heart. She could feel how quicker it was beating. Just slightly. It's because of the confusion suddenly marring his handsome features, and Alice didn't pull her hand away when Carlos moved his up to take it. Didn't take long till realization clearly punched him in the face, evident by how his eyes widened slightly and his jaw clenched. _"...Angela?"_

**Thud.** _Thud._ Now her own heart was picking up in pace, and it hurt. So bad. it prompted Alice to look down and pulled her hand away from Carlos'. She could feel tears threatening to sting, but they never came. Her eyes had gone dry. She's done her share of mourning. The exhale that came out of Alice was shaky though, and when she looked up - her eyes were directed towards the horizon at the ascending sun. Darkened gaze lingering, before they finally turned back to meet with Carlos' pained one. "I killed her. Shot her in the head. Because they told me to. I couldn't do a goddamn thing to stop myself. All I remember is my own conscious blacking out, and then when I came back around to... Angela was on the ground, dead. Jill saw it happen." Hurt even more to remember the pain, and hatred she witnessed in Jill's eyes. You'd think it was directed at Alice, but Jill knew it was Umbrella's doing. Jill didn't even need to tell her to leave, before Umbrella turned their precious weapon back on. Alice had taken off in a state of panic, and anguish. 

Carlos was silent, it's painfully obvious he no longer knew what to say. To help Alice, and to convince her to stay. All he could do was swallow thickly, and looked away. She could see the anger in the clenching of his jaw. Anger slowly turned into grief, and then finally... acceptance. He slowly nodded his head, almost as if he had been dazed by the blow of the reveal. _"... I- I can't stop you then, Alice. You... do what you have to do. Just..."_ He shook his head, disbelief evidently still having it's grip over him. But he managed to meet her gaze again, and sighed quietly. _"Promise me one thing, when you find them... when you find that son of a bitch--"_

"Consider it done." Alice answered quickly with fierce confidence shining in blue eyes, knowing damn well who Carlos was referring to. He knows about Isaacs. Knew what that twisted, power-hungry psychopath did. She fell silent again as blue eyes stared longingly into Carlos', before looking away again and towards the convoy. Everyone else was still quiet, going about with their usual routine - almost as if they're trying to forget the grief of the recent losses and desperately clinging to hope. A decision then clicked in Alice's head, and she brought her backpack around in front of her to reach in it and pulled the journal out. She then held it out for Carlos to take. "Found this at a gas station, by some poor bastard's body. I have my doubts about the things I found in it, but... it might be worth discussing with Claire. See what she thinks of it." Carlos' brows furrowed as he eyed the journal, but he took it anyway. Alice then gave one last small smile, and took another step in closer, a hand pressing against his cheek while she leaned up just enough to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Please stay safe," She whispered and pulled away, pulling her backpack on her shoulder again. She turned away, _quickly because she'd rather not let this painful goodbye linger._ "And tell Claire I truly appreciated her hospitality. She's a good person, probably one of the best I've seen in a long while." She called back out as she begun to walk away, towards the road. Alice didn't bother looking towards the others, but she could feel curious eyes watching her. Wouldn't be surprised if there's relief in some pairs. 

\-----

Back under the blazing sun once again, but at least she's on pavement. Instead of trudging through mounds of desert sand. It was a little easier on her, but she still doesn't think she's lucky. Having the virus adapt her body to extreme temperatures, and keep her cool. As matter of fact, it makes her feel ill every damn time and she's been fighting back the urge to puke. She's always been a fan of summer, the warm beach weather and all that. This... is just different. It's way TOO hot for her to deal with the virus' bullshit. Swallowing thickly, Alice pushed the thought out of her head and covered the bottom half of her face with the scarf around her neck, slowly inhaling then exhaling. The steps she was taking down the long road was almost mind-numbing, like there's never going to be an end to this. She knew there was a shopping plaza about ten miles ahead though, so there had to be a working vehicle somewhere. _'Or maybe I'll just perish out here. Then again, I'm not that lucky...'_ Alice thought sourly. Oh honestly, these dark thoughts were becoming just as exhausting.

Fortunately, the sound of an approaching vehicle offered assistance by cutting the annoying train of thoughts off --- also effectively shutting up the little voice that keeps mocking her in the back of her head. But when Alice turned to see who it could be, her hand already going for the grip of the Desert Eagle in the holster strapped around her thigh - eyes blinked as she recognized the dirty yellow hue, and the model of the vehicle. _'What is she...'_ The question trailed off in her mind as the Hummer slowed down, and coming to a complete halt besides Alice. All she could do was stand there, slightly bewildered as she watched the driver's side open up and there was that strange calming sensation rolling in when Claire came in view, walking around the vehicle and stopped a foot or so away from Alice. Their eyes were doing that thing again, the pairs locking with each other while they didn't say anything right away. Though Alice noticed a hint of anger in Claire's features, along with some kind of emotion that she didn't really want to acknowledge for reasons. The redhead also looked extremely _**exhausted.**_ Clearly Alice wasn't the only one who didn't get a single second of shut-eye. 

_"Where the fuck did you think you were going, Alice? I didn't give you the word to go."_

Alice couldn't help her own lips curling into a faint, but somewhat amused smile. Just a corner of her mouth turning upwards. "Already missed me?" The smile threatened to grow into a small grin when Claire narrowed her eyes at the older woman, before the redhead took another step towards the dirty blonde. _"Cut the crap. I was going to speak with you, only to find out from Carlos that you're running away. You can't keep doing that, you know. It's not my, or **your** fault that people die. It's Umbrella's, or it's just simply how life works, whether we like it or not." _Another step closer, and Alice opened her mouth to respond with her own argument - but Claire held a hand up, palm facing towards Alice. A gesture for Alice to just... not. She's not finished yet. _"Yeah, Carlos told me Umbrella makes you kill people. But I reiterate, not your fault people die. It's still Umbrella's. Plus..."_ Claire stopped after one more step, till she's standing directly in front of Alice and folded her arms across her chest. Green eyes fierce as they continued to stare into blue. _"You did save people this time, Alice. You saved Carlos, and Emily from getting burnt alive, and you saved the rest of us from getting eaten alive. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that sure as fuck didn't look like something Umbrella had control over. It was you, and only you. You ever think, that maybe... you're also capable of **stopping** them from controlling you ever again now that you're even more aware of what they could do. Like you said, you've been on the run for years before you found us. You managed to evade Umbrella for that long, and all you're doing right now is letting them back you up in a corner again. You want to stop them? You want to finish them off? Do it then. Prove them wrong. Or... just keep running with your tail in between your legs, and letting them win." _

Stumped into silence, that's what Alice was at the moment as she listened to Claire's lecture. She couldn't deny that Claire did have valid points, she just really couldn't see it till now. Too busy being wrapped up in her own misery, and loneliness. Her fear. Disbelief is just written all over Alice's tanned features, and she let out a soft scoff --- looking down at her own feet, as if she needed a moment to reel back from this. "Well, at least now I know why you're the leader..." Alice murmured in answer, tilting her head up to bring her gaze to meet with Claire's again. It's that urge she had, it was something new... the _need_ to stare into the pair of green eyes. It seemed to give Alice the extra boost of confidence, and inspiration. Claire moved her arms and brought a hand up, pointer finger jabbing at the front of Alice's shoulder, _"You know I'm right. So what is it going to be, keep walking down this road to nowhere... or get in the car with me, and we can go back to camp. Eat a little something, then we can figure out what to do next."_

Alice let her upper body sway back a little from the jab of Claire's finger, _in an almost playful manner,_ and she didn't resist the small smile tugging at her lips. " --- Hm, that's a tough decision..." She begun with that same playfulness in her tone, and Claire just raised a brow - Alice could see the redhead's lips threatening to curl as well. Of course they both know what the answer is. There's no denying it anymore. Maybe Alice did need a lecture after all. It was baffling to think about, how nobody really cared enough to smack some sense into Alice. Till she met Claire, and she couldn't help but feel something much deeper for this woman. She just couldn't really put her finger on it yet. 

Before she could say something else though, there was a noise in the distance that made her features fall into her usual stony demeanor - creasing into alert. Alice's gaze snapped up to the sky, and sure enough, what she found confirmed what she heard. Dread assaulted her nerves, and Alice's entire body became tense, holding her breath as she watched the black helicopter pass over them. _"Is that--?"_ She could hear light panic in the redhead's tone, and she had a good reason to be. Blue eyes darkened at the famous red and white logo on the side of the helicopter, and Alice's jaw clenched. Her rage already on the rise once more. "Umbrella. They know I'm here, and I bet you whatever's in that crate is a gift for me." She whispered angrily, eyeing the large crate that the helicopter was carrying. As usual, her initial thought was to take aim for the helicopter and shoot it down. But, they COULD use that helicopter. It was also an opportunity for Alice to track down another HIVE that had to be somewhere nearby, so she could dispose of them and hack into their mainframe for more information she's looking for. _The anti-virus._

_"Claire?? Are you there?"_ Carlos' voice drew their attention over the radio attached to Claire's utility belt. Without taking her eyes off the helicopter, Claire snatched the radio and brought it up to her lips, "I'm here, Carlos. With Alice. Did you see the helicopter?" 

_"I was going to ask you the same. I think it's a sign we should pack up and get the hell out of this state."_ Alice wanted to tell Claire to return to Carlos, and do exactly just that. But remembering the leader's lecture moments ago, Alice kept silent as she continued to watch the helicopter --- eyes narrowing as she tried to figure out which direction they were going. She's going to need a ride anyway, if they're to catch up with them. She didn't even need to ask what Claire wanted to do, because she got her answer when the redhead responded to Carlos. _"You guys start packing up. Alice and I are going to find out where that helicopter is going, we could use it. Don't argue with me, Carlos. Just start packing up, **now.** " _Claire turned the radio off, and her free hand grabbed onto Alice's forearm - determination fixed across her features, and Alice simply looked back at her. And nodded. Without another word, the two women moved towards the Hummer and climbed in. Once the doors were shut, Claire slammed her foot down on the gas pedal, making tires squeal across the pavement and kick up the desert sand behind them. 

"I think they're headed to Vegas," Alice answered right before Claire could even ask, it's as if they could read each other's minds like it's a natural thing between them.

_**To be continued...** _


End file.
